Upgrading to a new smartphone doesn't necessarily mean your old device has become useless. Even if its battery is weaker or its camera is outdated, an old phone can still perform several useful tasks around your home.

Instead of leaving it forgotten in a drawer, you can turn it into a practical secondary device.

1. Turn it into a security camera

An old smartphone can work as a basic monitoring camera. With the right camera application, you can position it toward an entrance, workspace or another area you want to keep an eye on.

Connect it to Wi-Fi and keep it plugged into a reliable power source. If you use such an arrangement, make sure the phone and camera app are protected with a strong password.

2. Use it as a dedicated music player

If your old phone still has decent storage, it can become a dedicated music device.

Download your favorite playlists for offline listening and connect the phone to Bluetooth speakers or headphones. This can save battery on your primary smartphone and keep your personal music collection separate.

3. Make it a navigation device

An old phone can also serve as a secondary navigation screen in your car.

Download maps that support offline navigation and connect the device to your car's power supply. This can be particularly useful during long journeys because your main phone remains available for calls and other tasks.

4. Turn it into a digital photo frame

Have thousands of family photos sitting in cloud storage? Your old phone can become a small digital photo frame.

Load a selection of pictures and use a slideshow feature. Place the phone on a stand and keep it connected to power.

It's a simple way to give an old device a new purpose.

5. Use it as an e-reader

A smartphone with a good display can be perfectly adequate for reading books, articles and PDFs.

Install your preferred reading application, download content for offline use and adjust the display settings for comfortable reading.

An older phone can be especially useful as a dedicated reading device because you won't constantly receive notifications from your primary phone.

6. Keep it as an emergency backup phone

Even if you don't use your old phone every day, keeping it charged can be useful.

You can store important contacts, emergency information and essential applications on it. Before relying on it as a backup, make sure it is compatible with your current network and can make emergency calls where required.

7. Use it as a smart-home controller

An old smartphone can become a dedicated control panel for compatible smart-home devices.

Depending on your setup, you could use it to control lights, speakers, cameras, televisions and other connected devices without repeatedly picking up your primary phone.

Before giving your old phone a new job

Remove unnecessary accounts and applications, install available security updates and protect the device with a screen lock. If you're planning to use it for sensitive activities, don't treat an old unsupported phone as a secure replacement for a modern device.

And if you eventually decide to sell or recycle it, back up your important data and perform a complete factory reset first.